PACIFIC PALISADES—Mike Bonin, the 11th district city council representative visited the Palisades Branch Library as well as Station 9 as part of his effort to initiate a transparent and close relationship with his district on his first day of office. The long-time chief of staff succeeded Councilman Bill Rosendahl and was sworn into office on Sunday, June 30, which includes Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Venice Mar Vista and
Westchester.

Bonin was at the Palisades Branch Library from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. to speak with guests and then at Station 69 from 7:00 to 7:45 p.m. to meet with firefighters.

Mike Bonin

He was meeting with various constituents in his district including police officers, firefighters, as well as small businesses and entrepreneurs on Monday, July 1. He was also helping pick up garbage in Mar Vista, serving lunches to senior citizens at the
FeliciaMahoodSeniorCenter in West Los Angeles and repairing streets in
Venice.

"I intend to be a hands-on council member who gets things done for our neighborhoods,” said Bonin. “My first obligation and my top priority is to serve my district and that will be the exclusive focus of my first day in office."

Bonin, 46, posted the following on his Facebook page early Monday morning, “Good morning,
Los Angeles!”

“I am at your service. As a brand new councilmember, I want to start out on the right note- by serving you, in our neighborhoods, and by getting things done. Today, I'm not going downtown to my new office. I'm going to be in my district ”“ filling potholes, cleaning up our streets, and checking-in on our local parks, playgrounds, and libraries. I will be visiting with seniors and meeting with some of our local cops, fire fighters, and small business owners who create jobs. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you, represent this district, and help lead the city. Together, we can move
Los Angeles forward, do good, and get things done,” he added.

His goals include creating a transparent, close connection between City Hall and the residents of his district. He plans on creating this relationship through a community-building program called “Access 11” which will combine community engagement, personal outreach, and technology.

“We need a Mayberry approach and an iPhone sensibility,” Bonin said. “Access 11 will set a new standard for accessibility and transparency by harnessing the best, most creative ideas the people of Council District 11 have to offer.”

Access 11 boasts of ambitious plans such as regular and open office nights and weekends at police and fire stations, farmers markets, senior citizen centers, neighborhood stores and libraries. Bonin plans to conduct hikes in the
Santa MonicaMountains and Ballona Wetlands; indulge in neighborhood coffees; and hold town hall meetings that will be live streamed on the Internet that will allow his constituents to participate on a more intimate level.

His Access 11 Plan also aligns well with the description on his campaign website. He is described as a “community leader and grassroots activist with a track record of fighting for Westside neighborhoods for nearly two decades.” The website also mentions that Bonin had worked side by side with Rosendahl as his chief deputy since 2005 to “promote public safety, relieve traffic congestion, protect the environment, and make government more efficient and accountable to local residents.”

He began his political career as a student organizing community support for the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers. His union later won certification in his junior year of college.